Arts groups to benefit from grant

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Chicago rapper and actor Common flies under the radar -- most of the time -- until he has a new album, movie or book, or comes to town for a show like at The Venue on Friday. And when he does pop up, you should see him, because it will be one of those underground hip-hop parties with that...

Chicago rapper and actor Common flies under the radar -- most of the time -- until he has a new album, movie or book, or comes to town for a show like at The Venue on Friday. And when he does pop up, you should see him, because it will be one of those underground hip-hop parties with that...

Comedian and actor Bill Cosby manages to come to town on the heels of big news. His last visit was after news of his death (Cosby has been on the celebrity death hoax list a couple of times). This show for the Grammy and Emmy winner whose career began in the '60s is in the aftermath of the...

Comedian and actor Bill Cosby manages to come to town on the heels of big news. His last visit was after news of his death (Cosby has been on the celebrity death hoax list a couple of times). This show for the Grammy and Emmy winner whose career began in the '60s is in the aftermath of the... (Getty Images)

Though they both have separate thriving careers in the underground rap scene, Qwel & Maker are perhaps best loved as a team. Maker works as an in-demand producer and beatmaker for both local and national artists; Qwel's roots as an MC go back to Typical Cats, one of Chicago's stalwart hip-hop...

Though they both have separate thriving careers in the underground rap scene, Qwel & Maker are perhaps best loved as a team. Maker works as an in-demand producer and beatmaker for both local and national artists; Qwel's roots as an MC go back to Typical Cats, one of Chicago's stalwart hip-hop...

R&B artists Miguel and Elle Varner are on the beginning chapters of what will presumably be successful music careers, so they are far from opening acts for Trey Songz's "Chapter V" tour. Varner, Soul Train award winner for best new artist, wowed TV viewers on the show during a performance of...

R&B artists Miguel and Elle Varner are on the beginning chapters of what will presumably be successful music careers, so they are far from opening acts for Trey Songz's "Chapter V" tour. Varner, Soul Train award winner for best new artist, wowed TV viewers on the show during a performance of...

On Tuesday at the headquarters of the Yollocalli Arts Reach program in Pilsen, Alex Aguilar was hunched over a piece of 8-by-11 paper, carefully outlining the word “Chicago” in cursive. He drew the city skyline rising from the tops of the letters, a tangle of train routes sprouting from beneath them.

Behind the city’s name waved its familiar four-star flag, and Aguilar was planning to add in the logos of Chicago sports teams. His miniature mural will eventually appear in an online gallery, and Aguilar wanted to show what he loves about Chicago to counter the city’s reputation for crime.

"Shootings, killings,” the 15-year-old explained. "It's true and all, but not everybody’s part of that.”

Yollocalli Arts Reach, run by the National Museum of Mexican Art, is one of more than 30 programs, including many in the arts, that will benefit from a $2.2 million grant announced Thursday. The grant is made up of $500,000 from the Burberry Foundation -- the philanthropic offshoot of the London-based clothier known for its plaid -- and $1.7 million from the MacArthur Foundation.

The money goes into the Hive Chicago Learning Network, a three-year-old umbrella network based at DePaul University (the MacArthur Foundation is a major funder) that helps youth programs collaborate on curriculum material in an effort to expand out-of-school learning opportunities.

The idea behind the network is to sneak lessons on critical thinking, civic engagement and digital literacy into kid-friendly activities like Yollocalli’s “History and Techniques of Graffiti.” A few weeks ago Aguilar’s class of about 15 young graffiti artists participated in a discussion about violence prevention and social issues with outreach workers, including one from the anti-violence group CeaseFire.

Also involved in the anti-violence curriculum: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, which is developing a performance about youth violence based on oral histories from Chicagoans. The play will travel to library branches around the city and be followed by discussion groups for teens.

“Each of those institutions had a desire to address this issue of youth violence,” said Hive Chicago Learning Network Director Christina Timmins. “But instead of creating something new, they used all their existing programs and they just managed to connect this experience under this shared theme."

A filmmaker who illuminates life in Mexico while reconceiving how documentaries are made. A flutist who built an organization that presents daring new music around the globe. A pediatric neurosurgeon who has saved the lives of uncounted children around the world by inventing an inexpensive,...